


Uneven Odds

by MarkimooPhanofBossness



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Based in 10 year gap, Blind Ignis, Heavy Angst, M/M, Panic Attacks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-05
Updated: 2017-07-04
Packaged: 2018-09-22 07:34:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9592004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarkimooPhanofBossness/pseuds/MarkimooPhanofBossness
Summary: An advisor without a king is destined to crumble and a man without resolve is barely a man at all, though it was all inevitable as Noctis was gone and along with him a part of Ignis was too. However with a glimmer of hope it was not time to say adieu, though unfortunately things may not be what they seem.





	1. Chapter 1

He could not see when it had happened or how. The worst thing was that he definitely felt it; he felt as the magic that swirled within the Prince and through to him faded and nothing but emptiness replaced the once filled space, leaving him feeling cold and weary.

All he could remember were two voices calling his name and having an arm wrap around his; leading him away from the crystal. A part of him could not stand to be torn away from the spot he had been frozen in seconds ago. He couldn’t leave him. He wanted to stay and linger within the presence that Noctis had left. He feared moving away from it as he felt that if he did the sense of magic that was dull within him would fade further until it was no more. 

He did not want to but his legs betrayed his thoughts and feelings as they marched forwards. He was being led by one of the other presences around him which suspiciously felt like Prompto. They walked in silence. There really wasn’t much that could be said. A void was set between them as a space within the group was now painfully vacant and all of them in their own right were consciously finding ways to deal with that knowledge.

They seemed to have been walking for a long while now though finally he felt as Prompto became motionless and let go of his arm. He just stood there for a second, listening to the rustling around him. From what he could guess, they were stopping at a camp tonight.

“Ignis, There’s a chair to the side of you if you would like to sit down buddy,” Prompto’s voice cut through the silence that had iced over them within the last hour.

“Many thanks, Prompto,” Ignis replied nonchalantly as he begun to feel around for the chair.

Prompto gave a little pat to the side of Ignis’ arm and scurried away whilst muttering something about getting some food to eat.

Ignis lowered himself slowly into the chair; once he was confident in the fact that it was securely behind him. He exhaled sharply and reached up to move the tinted glasses away from his eyes. He rubbed harshly at his eyelids, feeling a stab of phantom pain behind them.

For those few minutes his mind was vacant and it was blissful but in due time he knew his mind would filter in the crippling thoughts that were bound to come and consume him. To rip everything he ever knew and felt, leaving him like a blank slate which had been chipped and tossed aside.

Ignis felt his resolve crumble as he dug the palms of his hands into his eyes, feeling liquid build up behind them. He bit his lip hard as he tried to stop himself from crying out but everything seemed a lot harder now. There was no point in holding it together and playing his role the way he should. What kind of adviser was he without a king to protect and give advice to? Who was Ignis Scientia without his charge?

For once he felt extremely lost; he didn’t know what to expect or what the plan forward was and he did not like it much. What was he to do with himself? What was the point anymore? What were they fighting for now that Noctis was missing and there were no sign of a return any time soon? So many questions swirled within his mind and there was nothing that could distract him from those thought that cropped up instantaneously.

Ignis felt a tap on his shoulder which was the sign the other's had come to instinctively do so to notify him of their presence. There was a second of stillness before he felt as said person then shifted to crouch down in front of him 

"You okay?" A concerned tone laced Prompto's voice as he asked. 

"I'm quite alright," 

"Hmm very doubtful Igs. It's about Noct isn't it? Well Noct is gonna be fine and he’ll come back to us. I guess what's important is us working on shit before he comes back and that should be our goal. Improving and getting stronger, ready for his return,” Ignis was shocked for a moment; not expecting such rational thought and acceptance to come from Prompto. Not to say that the younger blond was not capable of it, it was just the fact that Prompto must have also been plagued with over thinking and be just as down heartened and yet his conscience and understanding was rational and for that Ignis could do nothing but admire the other.

“I appreciate the helpful words, I guess in a way that is quite accurate,” It took him a few minutes to compose himself though when he was finally composed he lowered his hands and looked into the direction he figured Prompto was in.

“No probs Iggy…Its just I know it’s going to be hard without him but if anything Noct just needs us to be strong and if anyone can do that for him it’s you,” Ignis could almost hear the smile within his words yet a hint of sadness was still present within the tone.

“I will keep that in mind,”

“Good, good. Well anyway I came over to give you your dinner,” Prompto said as he handed him a cup of noodles whilst he took a hold of Ignis' hand and helped him locate the fork within it.

“Bon appetit, its chef Gladio’s finest,” Ignis let a smile form on his lips in response.

Ignis felt a moment of hesitation from Prompto before he stood up and left him to his own devices. He stirred the fork around the plastic cup, not really having any interest in eating it. Though he thought back to what Prompto had said and considered those words for a moment. Noctis needed them to be strong and they couldn’t do that in a state of malnourishment which they would achieve on a diet of cup noodles. He needed to relearn how to cook and he decided that it would be one of his starting points in improving and gaining strength however he knew that it was a long shot right now so in that moment he decided to simply indulge himself on the food that was presented to him; no matter how much he was opposed to it.

He took a moment to gather the noodles on the fork before he put it to his mouth and bit down. It was bland in his mouth but it was just as he had expected and to be honest he felt as if everything would remain that way whilst he remained parted from the Prince.

He ate a few more mouthfuls after that then decided he could not stand to ingest it anymore.

“Give us that,” Gladiolus grunted as he reached out and grasped the half eaten cup of noodles in which Ignis had been unknowingly staring at in disgust.

“Alright, well I will retire for the night then,” Ignis announced.

Ignis rose from the chair though found he had to clutch onto the sides of it to stable himself. He made an educated guess to where the tent was located. He guessed it was somewhere behind where he had been sat and therefore begun to venture that way. He had a generalised idea of how the camp had been set up due to experience of it in the past so it was easy for him to manoeuvre around it even in his blinded state.

He felt the waterproof material brush against his hand; which was his first indication that he had reached his destination. He tumbled around for a short while before he was able to enter the tent and find a place to lie down for the night. 

He was exhausted, his body ached and there was a fire burning within his eyes yet he was not graced by the leisure of sleep. His mind was whirling uncontrollable and there was a harsh stinging in his chest that was nothing more than an anchor to the reality of the world he now lived in.

When he had lost his sight he had been able to acknowledge the fact that he was going to live in a world that was nothing but darkness though with Noctis by his side he could accept that fact but now it was cold as well as dark.

There was a temptation within his mind; in the very dark corner that had presented itself to him the very first moment in which he had come to the realisation of his eyesight, or more so the lack of it. Just like everything else it had gotten harder to ignore though he knew that if he gave into it, any hope of him gathering strength would be lost.

He sighed heavily for a moment as he curled in on himself and just took in the agonising silence that was around him. He felt undeniably lonely. He knew that Prompto and Gladiolus were still there and he very much appreciated their company but without the young presence of the Prince whom he had grown with and has known for fifteen years now; who in fact had always been the main focal point within his life. Without Noctis there was a part of him that was missing.

The worst part was that none of what was happening made much sense and everything was full of nothing but uncertainty which was something Ignis always had troubles dealing with and in the past he had always by any means avoided being uncertain about anything, though with the situation they were facing he was hopelessly powerless.

He just needed him back before all the unsaid words begun to eat him up. For years now there were words he had needed to speak to Noctis but never gained the courage to vocalise them and there were also feelings he had buried deep within himself and for once he wanted to let them all out but it was typical that the man whom they were meant for was not around to bear witness to them.

It was frustrating and a deep seated anger begun to boil underneath the surface making him clench his fists tightly so to stop himself from letting out the scream which clawed its way into his throat. He clenched his fist until they felt raw and almost on the verge of bleeding. His arms were shaking involuntarily and the anger he felt violently manifested into panic. His breathing became laboured and all the muscles within his body tensed up. He could do nothing but struggle for air as more waves of unprecedented panic overcome him. He didn’t know what to do, he couldn’t handle this alone.

Before it even started he was acutely aware of the panic attack that terrorised his body. He carefully tried to retake control over his breathing and steady himself. Using all the techniques he had learnt from the experience of dealing with and helping Noctis through nights where he would be in fits of panic due to nightmares that tended to haunt his dreams; he was finally able to calm himself down.

With the majority of the panic gone all he felt was numbness with a hint of fatigue. His eyelids were heavy and sleep was the only necessity he felt right now. He wanted to give into it but he feared the kind of dreams his mind was bound to conjure up whilst he slept and it was a fools notion to think any differently; that sleep could be the escape he needed.

The problem was as each second past the weariness grew and his body begun to go slack. The inevitable finally dawned upon him as his mind slipped into a state of slumber, though the same could not be said for his heart as it was still restlessly beating within his chest; unconsciously mourning the loss of his friend yet holding on to the shred of hope which was presented to them. Noctis would be back and that was all he needed to believe in.


	2. Chapter 2

A week had gone by; it had been a tough one due to the increasing numbers of daemons roaming the streets. Safe zones were becoming worryingly scarce and each daemon which was defeated seemed stronger than the last. 

For the last few days Prompto, Gladiolus and Ignis had been hauled up in Lestallum. Everything had been pretty quiet of late which was down to the fact that a substantial amount of people had gone into hiding, away from the daemons. 

The party of three would take on small jobs most of which were simply clearing different locations of daemons, more times than not Ignis staying behind whenever they were faced with jobs such as those. He would instead roam the reasonably safe streets of Lestallum, listening out for any information he found useful. Ignis kept trying to keep to the pace of everyone else around him, not letting himself just stand by as people protected him. Other than that there was not much else he could do and in a way he felt completely useless, even if Prompto and Gladiolus said differently.

He had lost count of how many reassuring words the other two had spoken to him. He found it to be ridiculous and he felt disgusted in himself. He shouldn’t need those words, he should have been stronger. 

“We are heading out, Iggy,” Prompto curtly spoke, which was followed by the sound of the front door being opened.

“Right well, please take every precaution,” Ignis pushed up his glasses and turned towards the others. 

“Hey no worries we kick ass, right big guy?” Prompto said cheerfully. Luckily Prompto was still very much sticking to his energetic nature which was a refreshing thought; it was something Ignis could appreciate it. 

“Yeah you better believe it, shame that I have to pick up the slack for your scrawny ass,” Gladio sniggered, whilst he peered down at the shorter blonde smugly.

“Oh you wound me; at least I’m not a big oaf like you,” 

Ignis could just imagine it now, Prompto with a forced childish expression; pretending to be offended by the older males comment. Gladio would be standing beside him with his arms across his chest, an expression of mockery rivalling the expression on the younger male’s faces whilst feeling pretty pleased with ruffling the gunman’s feathers. 

“As much as I am enjoying this little squabble, there are people to be seen and places to go,” Ignis sighed. 

“Yeah Iggs is right, let’s go,” Gladio grunted out followed by a small squeak which Ignis guessed was from Prompto being pulled out of the room. Behind them the door slammed shut, leaving Ignis to sit with nothing but the silence and stillness of the room they were staying in. 

In a way he was envious of those two because minus the overwhelming amount of daemons and Magitek, life had returned back to normal for them. They could leave and come back whenever they pleased and had no restriction to where they could venture. It was as if all of what was happening had almost little effects on them, which left Ignis feeling alone and as if he was stuck in a metaphoric bubble of melancholy. 

He was just so tired; he had only been getting one to two hours of sleep each night due to figures in his mind which took over when he slept. He couldn’t even remember what he saw each night. He would wake up fitfully, clinging on to the bedsheets with scratches all over his body which were evidentially self-inflicted.

He would wake up each day, dreading the next. Each day he pulled through due the instinctive nature that had been drilled into him and the feeling of needing to continue; he pushed forward and managed to stay straight laced and composed due to this fact. He even supported Gladiolus and Prompto when they needed it but he was very much aware of the fact that a time would come when they would have to go their separate ways. Ignis blenched each time he thought of it though he hoped for the mean time it was something that could be put off. 

Ignis let out a silenced groan, wanting to wash away all the negativity and frustration. He felt in dire need of a cup of Ebony, one of the only luxuries he could still afford to allow himself to indulge in. It would help him to rid himself of the exhaustion that was wearing him thin and the thirst that was clinging to his throat. 

He stood up from the bed he had situated himself on a while ago. Carefully he calculated his steps towards the area he knew the kitchen to be. He brushed his hands against the furniture he past till he reached the wooden archway to the kitchen. 

He hissed slightly when he stepped onto the cold titles of the floor as he took the first few steps within the room. Brushing his hands softly in the environment around him, he was able to locate the cabinets and surfaces. He felt around a bit more for the bag he knew to hold the Ebony and only stopped when he felt the material in his hand. He fiddled around for the zip and opened it though he found it to be empty. He cursed himself for not realising earlier that they were low on Ebony. 

He twirled around on the spot rashly and pulled the bag along with him. He threw the bag in frustration; hardly caring where it landed. He let out a sigh and debated it out in his head. He did not want to hassle Prompto and Gladiolus with the task of getting more as they had other endeavours to attend to and frankly Ignis could not see himself waiting any longer for some Ebony. There was only one way around this Ebony predicament and even for a lesser man, it would be an easy task however for a man who was blind, Ignis knew it would be a struggle to do on his own; nevertheless he mustered up the courage and headed back out the kitchen, into the main room. 

He stumbled around the front door for a while, searching for his shoes before slipping them onto his feet. He paid close attention to tying the laces, looping them around expertly like he had done millions of times before, through the years. 

He quickly grabbed his jacket off the coat rack that he had remember to be near and thumbed around for the pockets and the keys within one of them. He swiftly put the leather jacket on over his shirt as soon as he was certain he had found the keys, he made an exit from the hotel room. He promptly closed the door and locked it in a manner which was systematic due to doing it quite often. 

It was not so much a tough trek down to the streets, it was however quite mentally draining as he had to multi task with using his cane to make sure there were no obstruction in his way and counting in his head the number of steps he had taken so he could calculate how many more he would have to take before he could arrive anywhere near his destination. He also had to listen out for people coming his way so he could be prepared to move out of their way or even in the event of there being big collective groups; find an alternative route. 

By the time he had managed to reach the hustle and bustle of the streets of Lestallum he was quite irked by the amount of people who were seemingly determined to get in his way. Along with the built up frustration he already felt, he had miscounted the steps he had taken and was now confused with where he was. 

There was chatter to the left of him therefore he decided to head that way, he could hear three voices; two of them female and one male. He continued to walk till the voices were at a distance Ignis deemed to be close enough for him to converse with the group. 

“Hello, firstly I simply want to apologise for my intrusion but it appears I am in a bit of a pickle. Unfortunately due to the fact that I am impaired by my eyesight I have miscalculated my steps and am now lost, would you be so kind as to tell me where I am and to what direction I would need to walk into to reach the market?” Ignis called out formally towards the group whilst their chatter died down. 

“Sure, well right now you are in the west of Lestallum, just beyond The Leville and next to a shop and alleyway. Don’t worry the market isn’t far from here, all you need to do is turn around 90 degrees, walk forwards for about 15 steps then turn right and walk forwards for about 30 more steps. Take care on this path though, because there are small steps up. Then you need to turn left, walk forwards after that and you’ll find the market,” A female’s voice informed him. 

“That was very insightful, you have my thanks,” 

“It’s alright- oi what are you sniggering about?” The woman replied to Ignis but then seemed to turn her attention towards one of others within the group whom had started to laugh. 

“Oh man just, he said it’s very insightful when yanno he can’t see,” The male bellowed out in laughter. 

“Oh by the six stop being such a prick,” The female scolded the other and there was a sound as if she had smacked him. 

“I’m so sorry for this assholes attitude towards you,” 

“It’s quite alright, for making light of an inopportune situations when it is not one’s own, tends to be a defence mechanism for stupidity,” Ignis spoke out bitterly though his face was devoid of any malicious expression, instead a friendly smile flashed onto his lips which did nothing but put the recipients on edge. 

“Though I digress, anyhow I must be off,”

“Yeah, um have a safe journey and good luck with your market endeavours,” The same female voice said though this time coming out more meekly. 

“I bid you all adieu,” Ignis said in a manner which was final as he turned into the direction he had previously been appointed to. 

He begun to walk forwards, counting the number of steps he had taken. He takes the efficient amount of steps and turns right to where he guesses is into one of the many alley ways which connect the streets of Lestallum together. He took every precaution by slowing feeling for the steps and double checking before stepping forwards over them. 

26…27...28...29…30 

He stopped to recollect his senses, now he just had to turn left though which way was that? Where was he standing exactly, was there anyone in his way? If he went the way the woman had told him to, would he actually end up at the market? Did she trick him?  
He felt panic and something short of paranoia overcome him like it had done that time in the tent a week ago. He tried to compose himself and not let the uncertainty eat away at him. He gripped his chest tightly, willing it to stop trying to contract as it did nothing but make his breathing laboured. 

“Hey Specs, um earth to Ignis! You just gonna stand there all day cause the market isn’t going to just wait up for you,” 

…Noctis 

The voice Ignis had heard had definitely been the youthful voice of the prince. It had been as clear as day; not so distant but also not too near. 

“Yep it’s this way, specy, come on get your butt moving,” This time the voice trailed on and begun to get further and further away from him as if it was intentionally running from him. Mocking him, such as a daemon does to tempt you with your greatest desires. 

He found he could not let it get away from him therefore his legs begun to chase after it. He did not even stop for a second to think it over; there was simply a drive to catch up with the voice. He needed it to actually be him, for him to be encircled by his presence. It would be the reassurance he needed, it would stop the pain he felt flare up within his eyes. He wouldn’t have to feel so useless if Noctis was back. He clung onto that idea and it became the forefront of his mind. 

He could tell he had made it to the market. Smell of spices stung his nose and the amount of noise had increased due to the area being more populated. It was also more heated; he felt sweat wet his brow as he came to a halt, letting his senses take in the market. 

“Took you awhile, hate for you to get slow on me Iggs. I still need you around,” This time the voice ostensibly whispered into his ear. It was close and now with the voice there was a warm presence pressed up against his back. 

“Hey are you alright?” A different voice called out as a hand wrapped itself around Ignis’ bicep making him flinch slightly at the contact. Along with the new presence the one in which he wanted out of all else to stay had left without a trace. With a mumbled response Ignis slipped out of the others grasp and turned around away from the mayhem of the market. 

He stumbled as he unconsciously tracked his way back. Noctis had been there and he had no clue how, had he been drugged and was now delusional? He did not know. He felt sick and that was all he knew.

He was mostly incoherent and would only mutter an apology when he would bump into someone. Everything felt numb around him; the only thing that felt real was the words that had been spoken to him as they played on repeat in his mind. 

As he continued to wander his legs strained and grew weak. He came to a standstill, leaning heavily onto one of the bricked walls. He scrapped his knuckles slightly against the grain of the wall leaving them to feel raw and making him hiss lowly. His mind was reeling and everything else around him did not seem to matter. All he could dwell on was; what did all of this mean?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All of that happened and in the end Ignis didn't even get his Ebony, what a shame. Anyway stay tuned for bigger and debatably better things to come in future chapters as the journey has just begun my friends!


	3. Chapter 3

The world was shifting, the very ground would not stay steady though it was hard to tell when one could not rely on their vision. Even the air seemed to be none existent which was evident in the way his lungs pressed up against his ribs. He could not think rationally, his brain was nothing more than an agonising mess as if it was to turn to dust and the only physical thing he could cling onto was the wall beside him; sadly it was the only thing he knew to be true in those few moments he had lost himself.

“Ignis, hey Ignis…yo Iggs you with us buddy?” A soft voice called to him, one he recognised quite easily as being Prompto. Along with the voice however, there was now a body pressed to his own and he felt himself being elevated into the air making him squirm slightly. 

“Quit struggling, I’m doing this for your own good,” A puff of hot air brushed against Ignis’ face as a gruff voice grunted out. 

“I demand you to put me down this instance, Gladio,” Ignis wheezed slightly as his lungs felt like they were full of lead, leaving little room for the air that he was trying to breathe. 

“No can do Iggs,” Gladiolus gave a short response as he lifted Ignis up further until he had rested the majority of the other male on his shoulder. 

Ignis was ready to fight the older male on the matter but he knew that he hardly had the energy to struggle against the likes of Gladio, so instead Ignis swallowed his pride and tried to ignore the part of his innate instinct in which called for him to lash out, to fight for what was important to him but nowadays he hardly knew what that was therefore it had become easier to suppress it until his very being was whittled down to almost nothing. 

Gladiolus carried Ignis like that until they were back in their hotel room, though it had been a struggle between Gladio and Prompto to get in the room as Gladiolus had been rushing the younger blond to get the door open and they had squabbled about it but luckily for Ignis he had blocked out the most part of it. 

When in the room Gladiolus finally put Ignis down, making sure that he was steady on his feet then left him to attend to other business. Ignis cautiously made his way around the room till he reached the place he knew the bedroom to be and walked over to one of the beds. It had been weird for him the last few nights as the bed he now sat on had become his own when months before he had become accustomed to sharing a bed with another as whenever they were to stay in a hotel he would opt to sleep beside Noctis, for the purpose of allowing everyone to get the best sleep they could, also for security reasons and the last reason is that it allowed him easy access to the Prince whenever he had a nightmare. Though now all of that was different yet none of it had changed except from the undeniable space which stayed ever vacant as Ignis slept. 

Ignis let himself slump downwards on the bed till he laid flat on it, he slipped off his darkened glasses and clenched his eyes shut. He listened to the little whispers he could hear from the other room, his name appeared frequently as the mummers continued. It did not take much for Ignis to realise what the two were whispering about, he knew it was about the condition they had seen him in earlier. He could tell by the concern in Prompto’s voice and with the tone in Gladio’s voice, one seemingly befitting a parent such as the one he had always used on Iris all those years. 

Ignis chewed on his lip, ignoring the feeling that washed over him; it begged for him to scream out, to make all of it stop; all the petty concern, the anguish of it all and the uncertainty. He just hated it as he did not want for anything further to change and he definitely did not want to be treated as if he was made of glass and could shatter at any moment. 

Moments past and fortunately Ignis had unknowingly slipped into a sleep like state however his subconscious decided that the mental torment he endured when he was awake was not enough so it decided to plague his slumber with images of days long gone by. 

Images flickered behind his eyelids, some of them of when he and Noct were younger, such as the very day they had met. He could see it all clearly, a three year old version of Noctis standing before him, his blue eyes wide as he stared up at the boy in front of him. Ignis remembered kneeling and taking the other boys small hand into his own. That very day he had promised to serve and fully give his all to the young Prince and he had let it be known, however he had always been uncertain with how much the three year old had truly understood, though that did not really matter as Noctis nonetheless had accepted him in with open arms. 

There were other Images such as of the nights they had playing with one another; of them sneaking out of the palace, watching the night skies. They all revealed themselves to Ignis though slowly they started to be contorted, all the happy memories darkened with shadows in the background with a certain mirth that was demented, and flames licked all around them both, spreading like wildfire ready to consume them. After some time It all slowly faded away till it was only a vast pit of blackness he could see, yet there was a faint echo; It was Noctis voice, he could hear it as clear as day. 

He could hear soft sobs coming from the other male which planted a feeling of panic and frustration within Ignis as he was nowhere to be seen no matter how much he tried to reach out to find him. An overpowering sense of protectiveness washed over him, for he needed to get to him to relieve him of his pain, to stop his tears from falling like he had always done in the past. 

He opened his mouth ready to call out for Noctis but when he did nothing came out as if he was within a vacuum. He struggled for a bit and was further tormented by the echoing that had now rose in volume and seemingly resounded within his ears. All The motion in his body stopped and he begun to feel powerless as if his body was stranded. His body was limp till a certain sensation of wetness hit his skin; it started below him and seemingly begun to rise until it was above him. He choked and he started to drown, the only reprieve it gave him was that it had dampened the sounds of Noctis’ grief. 

Ignis wanted to fight it, pull himself from the waters deep but there was a certain calming sensation to being underneath it. He felt connected to the water as if it were the very tears Noctis had been crying; as if this was the very place he was destined to be. Or even like he was back in Altissia and this was the water of the Hydraen, this time around it was ready to claim his life. 

Suddenly it all came to a halt, the constricting of his lungs and the throbbing of his head and heart as reality hit him. He heard Prompto calling his name and felt as he tapped on his arm in a manner which made it seem urgent. 

“Hey buddy you awake,” Prompto asked. Ignis gave a groan in response as that was all he felt he could manage within that moment.

“Okay good cause we need to head out for Hammerhead, Cid called and he said that there was something we really needed to see and to get there as soon as we can,” Prompto gushed out, speaking almost too quickly for Ignis to understand but he was able to get the gist of it. 

“Alright, we should get moving then,” Ignis said nonchalantly, using the curiosity that had captured him from the new development to combat the uneasiness he still felt prior to what he had experienced within his sleep. 

“Sure, well anyways Gladio called Dave and he is willing to pick us up and drop us off at Hammerhead,” Prompto proclaimed as he helped Ignis to stand from the bed and then the two of them then made their way to the other room where they met up with Gladio. 

“Come on then, Dave is probably already here waiting,” Gladio informed them, both Ignis and Prompto simply gave a nod in response. They then slowly made their way out of the hotel and to the main road where they saw Dave’s truck parked and the man himself leaning against it. 

“It’s nice to meet you again, Dave. I do hope we did not trouble you by asking you this favour?” Ignis gave a formal greeting and offered the man a polite smile. Gladio on the other hand simply gave the man a quick slap on his arm in appreciation and got into the back of the truck. 

“Same to you Ignis and not at all, it’s an honour after all you’ve done for me,” Dave replied as he opened the passenger door for him and waited for him to get into the truck. Prompto held onto Ignis’ arm and helped to guide him to the truck, he stayed by his side and helped him into the passenger side and even took the matter of putting Ignis’ seat-belt on into his own hands. Once Ignis was seated safely in the front Prompto then joined Gladio in the back. 

It was a relatively quiet trip, after all the pleasantries where made everyone found that they did not have much else to say. The drive however took just over an hour and a half and with that time Ignis just sat there listening to the sounds around him; trying to track whereabouts they were with the noises outside. 

Finally they came to a halt and Ignis could hear the familiar sounds of Hammerhead around them. He quickly showed his gratitude to Dave before he opened the door and cautiously exited the truck. They firstly regrouped with one another and headed over to the garage where they knew Cindy and Cid to be. 

“Howdy boys, Cid is waiting for y'all inside,” Cindy greeted them. It was weird however as her tone was the way it usually was though there was something slightly off about it, as if she was on edge. 

“Thanks Cindy,” Prompto responded politely and gave her a nervous smile. 

“Let’s head inside, wouldn’t want to keep Cid waiting,”

Ignis was the first to move, taking steps toward the garage and going inside and alongside him both Prompto and Gladio followed until they reached where Cid sat waiting for them, though alongside him was someone they had not expected to see. 

Ignis heard gasps from both Prompto and Gladiolus but Ignis had no clue what they were about, but instead he felt an ache in his chest as if something had clicked back into place and a sensation unknown to him overcame his body like lightning bolts across his skin. 

“Oh my gods, Noctis is that really you,” It was Prompto’s voice that had called out as he swiftly brushed past Ignis and to something ahead of them. 

What did he mean? No! Noctis couldn’t be here. It was way too soon, it just couldn’t be real. It wasn’t possible and with the fact that Ignis could not see what was going on he was having a real hard time believing any of it, though he could not deny the hopeful pull in the chest, the anxious feeling that he had gotten in his throat as he waited it out or the sensations in his body that told him that it may be possible. A few minutes went by and all was still, Ignis grew frustrated as he did not know what was going on and with the battle plaguing within his mind the anticipation grew. 

“Yeah it’s me guys, I don’t know how but I’m back,” The voice that had spoken was very recognisable to Ignis’ ears and hearing it only meant one thing, Noctis was back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dun....  
> Was anyone expecting that? cause what the fuck Noctis is a few years too early, however this is not the only unexpected thing to come so stay tuned ;D


End file.
